Campbellsville University

2021’s Best Places to Get Married

2021’s Best Places to Get Married

02/15/2021

artwork 2021s best and worst cities to get married

Nikki Erwin LMFT – MFT Assistant Clinical Director, Lead Professor of Marriage and Family Ministry at LEC – Campbellsville University/ Louisville South Center

Editors Note: This story is provided by WalletHub. Nikki Erwin, Marriage and Family Therapy Clinical Director/Lead Professor of Marriage and Family Ministry at Campbellsville University, is a contributor to the story and her information is below.

By Adam McCann, Financial Writer, WalletHub

Valentine's Day is around the corner, and it's a very popular time for people to get engaged. Thinking about getting married can be very stressful in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, though. This public health crisis has drastically altered many couples' wedding plans or pushed them back. The good news is that the restrictions on large gatherings will eventually be loosened once a significant portion of the U.S. is able to get vaccinated this year. Therefore, engaged couples may want to begin their wedding planning now so that they will have less of a rush when things return to normal. In the aftermath of COVID-19, cost is likely to be an even bigger concern than it usually is for many couples, as millions of Americans have been financially impacted by the pandemic and may need to cut back their spending.

Weddings in the U.S. traditionally have an enormous price tag, with the average couple shelling out over $38,000 for their big day. There are so many things to purchase and organize that many couples hire professional event planners to do the heavy lifting. Between sending invitations, securing reservations, planning a menu and obsessing over final touches on the cake, it's no wonder weddings are arranged months, even years, in advance. Tying the knot is a huge commitment, and the wedding industry is worth around $73.3 billion in revenue per year.

At WalletHub, we understand the logistical and financial stresses of that typically long march to “I do.” In order to assist with the planning process, we compared more than 180 U.S. cities to find the cheapest and most convenient wedding destinations that also promise a memorable day. We examined each city across 20 key indicators of wedding-friendliness, ranging from average wedding cost to venues and event spaces per capita to wedding vendors.

Main Findings

Best Places to Get Married in the U.S.

Overall Rank  City Total Score  Costs  Facilities & Services  Safety 
1 Orlando, FL 72.13 14 2 39
2 Fayetteville, NC 67.86 6 130 26
3 Austin, TX 65.29 61 11 28
4 Portland, OR 64.80 114 20 8
5 Charleston, WV 64.24 2 142 79
6 Kansas City, MO 63.59 77 67 12
7 Atlanta, GA 62.95 66 5 46
8 Vancouver, WA 62.86 120 49 7
9 Tampa, FL 62.61 35 17 47
10 San Francisco, CA 61.62 162 4 6
11 Cincinnati, OH 61.22 51 26 41
12 Newport News, VA 60.81 70 146 16
13 Seattle, WA 60.67 137 13 11
14 Raleigh, NC 60.18 98 48 24
15 Virginia Beach, VA 60.14 89 89 19
16 Lewiston, ME 60.01 103 182 10
17 Las Vegas, NV 59.84 17 3 138
18 Richmond, VA 59.83 115 32 22
19 Honolulu, HI 59.82 171 9 1
20 Durham, NC 59.67 92 80 23
21 Norfolk, VA 59.39 80 135 20
22 Knoxville, TN 59.27 7 73 97
23 Salem, OR 59.24 81 128 21
24 Boise, ID 59.22 5 84 100
25 Portland, ME 59.12 127 86 9
26 Greensboro, NC 59.01 48 112 33
27 Houston, TX 58.45 99 19 34
28 Charleston, SC 57.93 84 28 44
29 Spokane, WA 57.77 49 87 48
30 Charlotte, NC 57.53 64 47 45
31 St. Louis, MO 57.38 74 24 62
32 Tulsa, OK 57.09 10 109 93
33 Sacramento, CA 57.08 134 8 29
34 Albuquerque, NM 56.93 26 99 74
35 Tacoma, WA 56.87 137 60 13
36 Missoula, MT 56.74 93 96 31
37 Oklahoma City, OK 56.60 31 91 78
38 Columbia, SC 56.40 42 44 87
39 Huntington, WV 56.36 13 178 80
40 St. Petersburg, FL 56.10 40 95 69
41 Chattanooga, TN 55.84 12 88 118
42 Grand Rapids, MI 55.81 56 51 71
43 Lexington-Fayette, KY 55.76 45 119 61
44 Chesapeake, VA 55.72 106 139 27
45 Winston-Salem, NC 55.50 59 149 40
46 Plano, TX 55.42 110 70 30
47 Gulfport, MS 55.32 37 167 63
48 Fort Lauderdale, FL 55.21 63 21 98
49 San Diego, CA 55.18 143 6 35
50 Columbus, GA 55.08 34 154 76
51 Dallas, TX 55.04 86 29 77
52 Fresno, CA 54.99 25 65 101
53 Columbus, OH 54.80 97 83 38
54 Juneau, AK 54.69 172 175 3
55 Memphis, TN 54.59 9 121 117
56 Madison, WI 54.58 108 94 32
57 Oakland, CA 54.39 161 22 14
58 Springfield, MO 54.17 19 110 110
59 Cleveland, OH 54.14 94 58 53
60 Reno, NV 54.02 32 43 121
61 Tallahassee, FL 53.97 57 93 73
62 Wichita, KS 53.78 39 126 83
63 Salt Lake City, UT 53.74 96 10 102
64 South Burlington, VT 53.68 176 151 4
65 Las Cruces, NM 53.54 1 172 150
66 Mobile, AL 53.43 27 104 113
67 Pittsburgh, PA 53.22 124 34 50
68 Colorado Springs, CO 52.98 101 74 54
69 Huntsville, AL 52.93 87 131 51
70 Birmingham, AL 52.75 18 56 133
71 Burlington, VT 52.61 164 124 4
72 Jacksonville, FL 52.48 72 72 84
73 San Jose, CA 52.48 165 15 25
74 Port St. Lucie, FL 52.26 24 179 88
75 Santa Rosa, CA 52.23 156 46 17
76 Cape Coral, FL 52.14 68 165 64
77 North Las Vegas, NV 51.99 15 38 138
78 Cheyenne, WY 51.97 65 174 70
79 Denver, CO 51.88 122 16 82
80 Lincoln, NE 51.77 105 108 49
81 Louisville, KY 51.56 75 81 89
82 Jackson, MS 51.16 44 143 114
83 Bakersfield, CA 51.07 78 78 90
84 Overland Park, KS 50.96 76 125 81
85 Toledo, OH 50.84 41 145 112
86 Akron, OH 50.73 55 148 91
87 Billings, MT 50.58 46 118 116
88 Des Moines, IA 50.57 53 106 108
89 Tucson, AZ 50.50 21 61 148
90 Fort Worth, TX 50.21 95 75 86
91 Chula Vista, CA 50.20 135 77 35
92 Baton Rouge, LA 49.80 82 62 107
93 Henderson, NV 49.63 30 102 138
94 Little Rock, AR 49.43 69 113 106
95 Santa Ana, CA 49.38 142 37 55
96 Minneapolis, MN 49.00 116 45 92
97 Pembroke Pines, FL 48.81 91 103 98
98 Montgomery, AL 48.67 33 161 127
99 San Antonio, TX 48.58 112 50 96
100 Fremont, CA 48.52 179 54 14
101 Anaheim, CA 48.45 148 25 55
102 Pearl City, HI 48.11 181 180 1
103 Oceanside, CA 47.93 147 68 35
104 Columbia, MD 47.83 166 150 18
105 Dover, DE 47.74 119 166 68
106 Fargo, ND 47.65 38 140 144
107 Nampa, ID 47.34 22 170 135
108 Tempe, AZ 47.23 54 35 161
109 New Orleans, LA 47.17 100 52 122
110 Indianapolis, IN 47.16 71 79 126
111 Corpus Christi, TX 47.15 43 141 145
T-112 Miami, FL 47.08 67 1 175
T-112 Buffalo, NY 47.08 123 71 94
114 Irvine, CA 46.87 158 31 55
115 Fort Wayne, IN 46.86 47 127 137
116 Augusta, GA 46.85 23 132 152
117 Irving, TX 46.80 102 111 111
118 Rochester, NY 46.53 146 57 60
119 Nashville, TN 46.19 85 42 146
120 Huntington Beach, CA 45.94 159 33 55
121 Omaha, NE 45.91 90 92 124
122 Aurora, CO 45.82 139 98 67
123 Rapid City, SD 45.57 20 156 160
124 Garden Grove, CA 45.33 152 66 55
125 Glendale, AZ 45.21 28 134 161
126 Detroit, MI 45.18 79 97 136
127 Anchorage, AK 45.08 150 144 42
128 Garland, TX 44.84 128 153 85
129 Chicago, IL 44.81 117 30 143
130 Arlington, TX 44.79 107 114 119
131 Gilbert, AZ 44.64 36 116 161
132 Casper, WY 44.63 88 160 125
133 Washington, DC 44.59 170 27 52
134 West Valley City, UT 44.42 104 176 102
135 Stockton, CA 44.26 129 138 95
136 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 43.65 111 64 128
137 Cedar Rapids, IA 43.51 130 133 104
138 Chandler, AZ 43.33 58 107 161
139 Modesto, CA 43.05 113 85 132
140 Fort Smith, AR 43.02 50 177 159
141 St. Paul, MN 42.97 136 82 105
142 Brownsville, TX 42.69 11 181 172
143 Baltimore, MD 42.59 157 63 75
144 Riverside, CA 42.57 126 40 141
145 Phoenix, AZ 42.49 83 76 161
146 Shreveport, LA 42.23 29 151 170
147 Mesa, AZ 41.67 73 105 161
148 Aurora, IL 41.50 141 117 109
149 Los Angeles, CA 41.45 144 7 154
150 Oxnard, CA 41.43 168 122 43
151 Milwaukee, WI 41.42 125 90 134
152 Scottsdale, AZ 41.27 121 36 161
153 El Paso, TX 41.22 3 115 182
154 San Bernardino, CA 41.10 118 137 128
155 Glendale, CA 40.91 131 14 154
156 Grand Prairie, TX 40.07 132 173 115
157 Manchester, NH 39.87 163 159 65
158 Fontana, CA 38.76 133 123 128
159 Philadelphia, PA 38.57 153 53 123
160 Hialeah, FL 38.29 52 69 175
161 Laredo, TX 38.22 4 169 180
162 Nashua, NH 38.16 175 163 65
163 Wilmington, DE 37.80 180 39 72
164 Long Beach, CA 37.74 148 23 154
165 Amarillo, TX 37.69 8 164 179
166 Ontario, CA 37.59 145 101 128
167 Peoria, AZ 37.38 109 171 158
168 Sioux Falls, SD 36.86 62 162 174
169 Moreno Valley, CA 36.67 140 147 141
170 Lubbock, TX 36.50 16 129 181
171 Warwick, RI 34.44 177 155 120
172 Santa Clarita, CA 34.27 151 59 154
173 Bismarck, ND 33.57 60 157 178
174 New Haven, CT 33.08 155 136 147
175 Worcester, MA 32.12 154 158 151
176 New York, NY 31.79 174 18 169
177 Boston, MA 31.78 169 41 153
178 Bridgeport, CT 29.20 167 168 149
179 Yonkers, NY 28.24 182 12 168
180 Newark, NJ 25.93 173 100 171
181 Jersey City, NJ 24.08 178 54 173
182 Providence, RI 22.09 160 120 177

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

artwork 2021s best and worst cities to get married

Ask the Experts

Marriage is not only a big life decision, but it also can be a hefty financial commitment, because how much money you have usually determines the extravagance and location of the wedding. But some couples have far fewer resources to spend on their special day. For advice on such matters and how to boost the local economy through the wedding business, we turned to a panel of experts in family studies, personal finance and local administration. Click on the experts' profiles to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:

  1. What factors should couples consider when setting a budget for their wedding?
  2. How should a couple decide where to get married?
  3. What tips do you have for a couple planning a wedding and hoping to stay on budget?
  4. What will it take to get venues and bridal shops back on track in 2021?
  5. Weddings can often be an economic boost to local businesses. What can local authorities do to encourage weddings in their communities?

In order to identify the best and worst cities in which to tie the knot, WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three key dimensions: 1) Costs, 2) Facilities & Services and 3) Safety.

We examined those dimensions using 20 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for weddings. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), we used the square root of the population to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.

We then determined each city's weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Costs - Total Points: 40

  • Average Wedding Cost: Triple Weight (~24.00 Points)
  • Restaurant-Meal Costs: Full Weight (~8.00 Points)
    Note: “Restaurant Meal” refers to a three-course meal for two.
  • Prevalence of Affordable Wedding Logistics: Full Weight (~8.00 Points)
    Note: This metric measures the prevalence of affordable restaurants and wedding venues with ratings of at least 4.5 stars.

Facilities & Services - Total Points: 20

  • Wedding Chapels & Churches per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
  • Venues & Event Spaces per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
  • Party-Equipment Rentals per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
  • Photo Booth Rentals per Capita*: Half Weight (~0.65 Points)
  • Event Planners per Capita: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
  • Videographers & Photographers per Capita: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
  • Musicians & DJs per Capita: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
  • Makeup Artists & Hair Salons per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
  • Bridal Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
  • Flower & Gift Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
  • Catering Companies per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
  • Availability of Highly-Rated Takeout or Delivery Food: Double Weight (~2.58 Points)
    Note: This is a composite metric which includes delivery and takeout restaurant options rated 4 stars or higher.
  • Bartenders per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
  • Floral Designers per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)
  • Cake Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.29 Points)

Safety - Total Points: 40

  • Average COVID-19 Deaths in the Past Week per Capita: Double Weight (~20.00 Points)
  • Average COVID-19 Cases in the Past Week per Capita: Double Weight (~20.00 Points)